Math
This week in math we will begin a new chapter, Chapter 4. Chapter 4 focuses on computation very similarly to chapter 3, except with fractions. Many of the skills in this chapter are a review from grade 5. We will begin by estimating products of fractions, and move into multiplying and dividing fractions by whole numbers, other fractions, and mixed numbers. This week our focus will be on lessons 1-3, which focus on multiplying and simplifying fractions. Science The Space Science unit test will be this Friday. This test covers all 3 space science chapters that we have worked on this term. A list of Things to Know will be sent home with students to study. The biggest item on the test is coloring and labeling the Phases of the Moon. For homework this week, students will read the article "Dig This" and answer the comprehension questions. They should be identifying evidence in the reading to support their answers, and always use complete sentences and examples in short answer questions. Math and Science will have trimester 1 binder checks on Thursday, which will count as a quiz grade in each subject. English Language Arts, Reading, History We continue with the elements of plot and making inferences with the short story The Night of the Pomegranate. Open response writing has continually improved as the year progresses. Fluency practice continues in Reading groups. We are taking the week off for writing this week as I do writing conferences on the writing done this past term. Next week we begin writing the persuasive writing we began before Thanksgiving. Students have spelling homework (41/42) due on Thursday when they have the test. Learning about appositives will be our grammar this week with a follow-up assignment in the journals Phase II of the Nile River map is due on Friday. Students should be using the plants and animals reference sheet and the Nile River rubric to complete this assignment. There is no need for external sources but of course, students can use whatever they want to learn how to draw or sculpt the plants and animals of the Nile River. We also are talking about Egyptian mythology. I'll be grading Journals this week for the third time this trimester. Assignments in the journal include notes on grammar, ela or history, and responses to prompts or reading. Students have time to work on these journals in class and if absent, will work on them during homeroom study time or recess to complete the assignments. The journal grades count as Classwork in Reading and is weighted as much as a test. Finally, I grade notebooks on Wednesday. We've come a long way from when sixth grade was the second year when students were expected to keep their papers organized and on hand for use in class. But, we continue the important task of teaching how to organize and what is important enough to organize. Please help your child by not making super human efforts to replace a paper inadvertently thrown away. One paper in the grand order of things counts for just a few points. But, having students learn the lesson of organizing materials is priceless. My notebook list is posted on the Homework Uploads section. English Language Arts, Reading and History
We've been working on persuasive writing in class, supporting opinions such as favorite movies, the quality of television and the best age for a driving license. We'll catch up on some grammar issues of sentence fragments and run ons I've asked for 2 reading slips collected on the Wednesday after vacation. We continue Massachusetts Book Award Reading groups for fluency and The Lightning Thief. History We have completed Phase I of the Nile River map. We will discuss Phase II of the project due on December where students have to prepare plants and animals for the Nile River. We'll work on a short assignment on Egyptian gods in class due on Tuesday. Notebooks will be checked on Wednesday, December . All papers should be in the notebook in order, bound into the rings and completed. This is for a test grade. Math Last week we began working to design a hypothetical aquarium for our classroom. Students were given a list of supplies, their costs, and a budget of $200 to spend. Students are working in small groups to decide which items they will buy and how much money they will spend. They will list the items, their costs, and write a paragraph about why they picked each item. An illustration of their aquarium will accompany their proposal. These will be presented on Monday, November 27th and will count as a quiz grade. Science This week in science we will be continuing to work on galaxies and stars. We will do a couple of pages of review and a short reader's theater activity on Tuesday. The test for this unit will be on December 1st, and will include information from all 3 lessons. Students should be sure to know/be able to draw the phases of the moon, lunar/solar eclipses, stars in order of color/hotness, 3 types of galaxies and their characteristics, and all of the vocabulary from the three lessons. Their science binder section has all of the materials necessary for studying. A "things to know" paper will also be sent home early next week. Math
In math this week we will be wrapping up chapter 3. This chapter focused on computing with decimals, which was touched upon in grades 4 and 5. Students reviewed and extended ways to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with decimals. The importance of estimating for reasonableness was discussed at length. We will be reviewing for the test on Monday and Tuesday in class, and the test will follow on Wednesday. All students have the opportunity to log onto the McGraw-Hill website and take a chapter 3 practice test until Thursday. Students who complete this test and bring in some form of documentation (note from home, print out, screen shot, etc) will be awarded 5 extra credit points on their test. Thursday we will do some problem solving and preview a geometry topic that we will see later this year. Science This week in science we will continue to read about stars and galaxies. What causes stars to burn? What are the different types of galaxies? These questions and more are what we will be reading to discover! Students will receive an article about plate tectonics on Monday. This assignment should be turned in no later than Thursday. Students should be identifying evidence within the article, highlighting or underlining it, and using complete sentences when answering short answer questions. English Language Arts, Reading and History Reading: We read the story "Tia Lola" from the Treasures textbook as an example of realistic fiction and to getsome practice making inferences from reading We continue reading The Lightning Thief. Grammar: We review run-on sentences and sentence fragments There is no spelling this week. Writing: Students will begin the graphic organizer for the next writing which will be on persuasive writing. History: We begin our study of Ancient Egypt by designing a map with major historical and geographical features on it. The entire map drawing will be done in class. Math We have a short week, but there is no shortage of new math skills! This week we will be working on dividing with decimals. We will begin by estimating quotients of decimals, and then move into dividing decimals by whole numbers, as well as by other decimals. Next week we will review chapter 3 for a couple of days, and students should expect a chapter 3 test on Wednesday, November 15th. Science We begin our final lesson on Space Science this week. This lesson looks at stars and galaxies. We will watch and take notes on an informative movie, create vocabulary flash cards, and begin reading about the different types of stars this week. Students have a reading selections titled "Space Junk" to read and answer comprehension questions about this week as homework. It will be given on Monday, and due on Wednesday. English Language Arts, Reading and History The short week will allow us to complete a short lesson on using primary sources and making inferences. We'll start that on Tuesday in class andit will be due on Wednesday. The myth on Mesopotamia with the graphic organizer is due on Tuesday and reading slips are due on Wednesday. We continue in The Lightning Thief and in Massachusetts Book Award Reading groups for fluency Finally, we are prepaing for Christmas cards for the young man highlighted on Channel 40 this past weekend who is celebrating Christmas early for health reasons. |